"tim chandler" wrote:

Yes "temporary" - because the locusts eat up everything in sight and move
on! Meanwhile the crops are totally destroyed, and people even starve.
LOL, what an "inconvenience"!

Population explosions of various species have occurred all throughout the
world's history, long before there was any "artificial intervention".

Speaking of frogs, here is an expert assesment:

'According to Ministry of Natural Resources biologist John Van den
Broeck, ³there appears to have been an eruption of northern leopard
frogs in the district over the last two years‹particularly in the west
end around Lake of the Woods,² said Van den Broeck.

*** Van den Broeck noted adult leopard frogs normally inhabit open
fields and forests, but return to ponds and rivers to hibernate in the
mud during the winter. To find them congregated in such numbers around a
small artificial pond is somewhat unusual, but not inexplicable.

*** ³It would appear the adult frogs are attracted to the pond to
feed,² he explained. ³Their home range is small (500m sq.), so it is
likely they will return to the river to over-winter. They will not
over-winter in the pond, although it would be suitable for
reproduction.²

*** That¹s not likely since Lori says they usually keep exotic fish in
the pond, which would devour any tadpoles in short order. However, since
the Greens did some extensive renovation of the pond, there were no fish
in it this year, so some frogs may have laid eggs there in the spring
that survived.

*** Field naturalist Henry Miller said he too has noticed an increase
in the number of leopard frogs in the district this summer, although he
offers no explanation for it, except to point out these kinds of ³boom
and bust² cycles are not unusual in many species.

*** ³These things seem to run in cycles,² Miller explained. ³Over the
last few years, we¹ve seen a reduction in numbers of lynx because the
hare (its principle prey) are also down.

*** ³When the hare come back, so will the lynx,² he predicted.

*** ³There are quite a number (of frogs) this year, but they had
almost disappeared for a while,² he continued. ³I have noticed the
garter snake population is down, but I don¹t know if that has anything
to do with it or not,² he added.

*** The garter snake is one of the chief predators of the leopard
frog‹as are raccoons, kestrels, crows, ravens and coyotes. And now that
the frogs are back, will there be more garter snakes next year?

*** ³Perhaps", said Miller.'

http://www.fftimes.com/index.php/2/2003-09-03/15034

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